Chris P. Bacon: YouTube star comes to children’s books

Chris P. Bacon, a disabled pig, learns how to get around on a cart.Penny Weber

There’s no denying this is a heartwarming story and a great lesson for kids.

A piglet is born with a deformity, and a vet adopts him. The vet, Dr. Len Lucero, outfits the piglet with a cart so he can get around. It is a happy story.

But did he have to name him Chris P. Bacon?

If you can get over that hammy bit of nomenclature, the moral of the book, based on a true story, has its merits.

If he seems familiar, that’s because Chris P. Bacon is already a YouTube star. "Chris P. Bacon My Life So Far" By Dr. Len Lucero and Kristina Tracy, illustrated by Penny Weber (Hay House, Inc., $19.95) is the first of his three books.

He will be on an upcoming PBS “Nature” special, “My Bionic Pet.” And he has already been on talk shows.

The book is told from the pig’s perspective, and Chris P. Bacon recalls Dr. Len, or dad as he now calls him, reassuring the piglet: “ ‘;You are a special pig. Your back legs don’t work like most pigs, but that’s okay. You are unique.’ Hmmm … I thought. I like the sounds of that … Yooooo-neek! ‘Oink-Oink,’ I said.”

Chris P. Bacon and lives in Dr. Len’s, with a cat, a dog, a horse, a rooster and assorted humans. After a good sleep, Chris P. Bacon is outfitted with a cart with wheels that allows him to be mobile. Dr. Len videotaped Chris P. Bacon’s first efforts, and the piglet developed a fan base.

“The best thing about my new life is that I get to meet people and animals who are different … just like me. I think that when they see what a tiny pink pig can do with a little help – and a lot of grunting – it makes them realize that they can do all kinds of things, too. It’s cool to be yooooo-neek!”

A picture of a little girl coming out of an ice cream shop is shown waving to Chris P. Bacon.